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About Me

Hailing originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Barbara Klar opened her first store, Clear Metals, in NYC's East Village during the mid - 80's. In 1991 she moved that store into the Soho section of NYC where it was for ten years until June of 2001. Since that time, Barbara has moved her studio to Accord, New York, where she is currently expanding her website, her wholesale line and her special order commission work.

C lear Metals is a showcase to Barbara Klar's fascinating collection, a unique presentation of one-of-a kind and limited edition gold and silver jewelry which is completely designed and crafted by her in her Brooklyn studios. Originally a trained metalsmith, she was listed in NY Magazine as being one of the few jewelry designers who "will lend her eclectic touch to create just about anything her clients request, from unique wedding bands and pearl-drop earrings to chunky ID bracelets and mediaeval - style chains".

B arbara's work has been recognized on the editorial pages of Vogue, WWD, the New York Times and In-Style Magazine as well as featured on television shows such as "Friends", "Veronica's Closet" and "Judging Amy". Film credits have included " Meet The Parents", "Wall Street", "High Art". and the Eurythmic's "Missionary Man" video.

Symbolic, personal and timeless, Barbara Klar creates jewelry that becomes today's modern heirlooms. She combines elements of Celtic, Egyptian, and American Indian cultures with the symbology of contemporary Street Graffiti. Her cutting - edge designs often challenge the limitations of fine jewelry through her use of precious materials that are worked and designed into pieces that reveal a modern sensibility with a keen historical edge.

Thursday, April 14, 2016

Tiny is TOPS!

The components I use to
makejewelry are so small that I
need magnifying glasses to see them clearly.Often they will jump off my bench and fall into the void of
my workspace, never to be found again or only appear when I'm searching on my
hands and knees with a flashlight.

This drives me crazy at
times, but I love Tiny Things.Last week my assistant, Jen, and I were reminiscing about our love for
all things tiny.How did this
start?Surprisingly, we could both
trace our fascination back to our first dollhouses. One of my earliest
obsessions occurred when I accompanied my mother on her weekly grocery shopping
and noticed a toy high atop a shelf on an aisle, prior to Christmas of
1959.This was the original
"Dream Kitchen" and came with a working dishwasher and a total of 176
pieces.It included tiny steaks,
plates, pots, pans and canned goods.I repeatedly tortured my mother until it arrived that Christmas.I began to create a secret dollhouse in
a cabinet in my bedroom where I made curtains and doll clothes with my tiny
crank Singer sewing machine.I
would work on my cabinet of curiosities endlessly until my mother would come in
and force me to go outdoors, into the sunlight.But I preferred my dollhouse, much as I prefer the time
spent in my studio today.

This is a dollhouse to top
all doll houses.Fairy Castle was
commissioned by silent movie actress Colleen Moore in 1928 and now resides in
the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, Illinois.It took many years and countless
artisans to create this masterpiece:with its 500-year-old ornaments, pure gold and diamond encrusted
chandeliers, it boasts a great hall, a princess's bathroom and a well-manicured
courtyard.

Here is my "Girlie
Necklace".It features all
charms that reference the pin-up girl theme.While I do not often work in non-precious or costume
jewelry, I couldn't resist it when I saw these charms.The small binoculars are viewable with
a picture of the Brooklyn Bridge. There's a pink-gold plated
"Playboy" locket, an expanding cellulose fan with nudie girl pictures
and a small disk that rotates viewable girlie pics… The little book expands
with picture postcards of Somerset.It is made of copper with silver accents and is truly one-of-a-kind.